When is a park . . . more than a park? When it’s a Heritage Park

The Communications and Programming Committee had a most productive meeting at Fort Trumbull Thursday. Chair Penny Parsekian had occasion to return to the Fort in the evening and took this great photo.

This really is a remarkable structure and we urge everyone to visit it, as well as its comprehensive Visitors Center and museum.

Anyway, as you might guess, lots of the meeting centered around our new acquisition of 2 Navy surplus utility boats (yay!) which will arrive at Crocker’s boatyard in New London the week of November 30^th. Water Taxi Subcommittee Chair Marian Galbraith will be planning a press event for the occasion, so stay tuned for details.

Now that the boats are no longer merely figments of our fevered brains, the Committee set to work to draft a water taxi marketing budget, along with the marketing plan specific to the water taxi. As our DEEP Liaison and Director of State Parks Tom Tyler reminded the group, this is the first State of Connecticut Heritage Park, and as such it is more than the sum of its parts.

So one of the next tasks on the Communications Committee’s agenda is the development of a Map and Guide for the park, to introduce the idea of the Heritage Park and list all the reasons (well, maybe not all, since there are hundreds) why people should visit it. Andrei Harwell, who designed the Yale Urban Design Workshop report and the THRP logo, has agreed to design this new publication as well. Transition Team Chair Chris Cox will be arranging for the Committee to meet with master map maker and way-finding designer Dennis O’Brien, to acquaint him with our project and share ideas.

The Committee has also continued its outreach to potential partners and supporters, having met with the Connecticut Explored Magazine staff as well as representatives from the Community Foundation. We are hoping and anticipating that when 501 c 3 status is approved and the non-profit Thames River Heritage Park Foundation is finally a reality, the non-profit will have a great foundation of information and partnerships on which to build. It won’t be long now!